In closing, I can't help but think a local co-op option would have been a great addition that would have attracted a wider audience. If you couple this with the fact that Rock Band 3 songs are still unable to be imported, there are a couple of things that stop this from being a 100% scoring game, but nonetheless, it is still a fantastic entry into the rhythm game genre.

In the end I came to the conclusion that made the most sense – Rock Band Blitz is another accessory for my Rock Band experience. When you stop thinking about it as a separate product, picking up this downloadable title just makes sense.

Blitz is a game that gives as much as you put into it. Keep an extensive music library and group of leaderboard rivals and its longevity is potentially massive. The packaged 25 songs definitely won't be enough to sate your fill, and once you get the hang of its complex systems you'll be chasing down those high scores in a fervour that you haven't experienced since the rhythm game heyday.

Rock Band Blitz works as not only an extension of the Harmonix brand, but also as a stand-alone action game full of cool power-ups and competitive leaderboards. Plus, it's a set of mostly great songs that can be played in Rock Band 3. It doesn't matter if you shred with a fake plastic guitar, retired from the road long ago or are playing for the first time; Rock Band Blitz has a little something for everybody!

After a rocky couple of years for rhythm-action, in which Guitar Hero came to an end and Rock Band 3 failed to repeat the retail success of its predecessors, it's fantastic to see Harmonix back on top with a game that reinvigorates the genre in new and interesting ways. But, more than that, it's just great to have an extremely playable reason to return to some old favourite songs.

Harmonix proves rhythm games are still as alive as ever; it just
lacked some creativity these last couple of years. Rock Band Blitz
might start of slow, but this is soon compensated by the fresh outlook
the game gives on music games.

But as long as you like rhythm games, turning it away simple because it isn't fun to watch would be a major mistake, as Blitz is one of the most enjoyable rhythm titles I've played in years. All of the nuances involved make it much more interesting than simply attempting to "get 100% of the notes," which is something truly special.

Playing Rock Band Blitz with the standard Xbox 360 controller was a hoot as the fast gameplay, enjoyable set list and the ability to play your existing Rock Band tunes from your library (for a price) makes Rock Band Blitz a solid buy for fans of the franchise.

Its stripped-down approach recants the necessity of plastic contraptions to enjoy the series' extensive and vast soundtrack; and assuming your catalogue is butch enough, Blitz has more than enough staying power to maintain a headline slot.

Ultimately, Rock Band Blitz is a smart and satisfying extension to the Rock Band platform. It should be a no-brainer purchase for Rock Band enthusiasts, but it's also a worthy purchase for anyone who wants an addictive and at times chaotic rhythm title without the fuss of plastic instruments.

Harmonix tries to renew Frequency and Amplitude's game mechanics in a new game. For less than 15 euros Rock Band Blitz offers 25 new tracks that can be also played in Rock Band 3 at no additional charge.

Considering this game spun off from a series that rewards diligent accuracy, the studio should be applauded for delivering a title that encourages strategy and a mild form of improvisation while still being a worthy Rock Band game.

Examined on its own merits, Rock Band Blitz offers highly tuned rhythm matching fun, and the new approach to multipliers makes score chasing a blast. Harmonix has leveraged its obscenely large music library to boost the appeal of Blitz, and the game's draw may be directly proportional to how much previous money you've already invested in the series.

The clunky social integration and overabundance of games systems strata ultimately don't negate the old-school rhythm game fun in Rock Band Blitz, and if you're already invested in the Rock Band platform, it almost seems foolish not to spend the $15 to extend the life of your library.

Blitz proves that rhythm games can work without additional hardware, but even though it reminds sometimes of Harmonix' early masterpieces Frequency and Amplitude it lacks substance as a stand-alone-game. But throw the cross-compatibility with the instrument based brethren in the mix and you get more than 20 new songs to play for a fair price.

Rock Band Blitz can be compared to games such as Audiosurf and Amplitude: once you're in the right flow, you'll race over the musical track like a mad man and hopefully break your own or someone else's high score. For the competitive gamer, this means a lot of hours of entertainment, but other than that, Blitz hasn't got much to offer. That's a shame, because the main mechanic is simple and yet addicting.

Definitely worth spending some time with. Doubly so if you're a Rock Band enthusiast looking to expand your collection of playable songs. Owners of Rock Band 3 will definitely get their money's worth; for everyone else, there's a very enjoyable rhythm game here.

There's plenty to like here, and Blitz is an undeniably enjoyable arcade game in short bursts. But it feels like an awkward offshoot for the Rock Band name, a little desperate in its push to get people downloading more songs, and an altogether lightweight experience that is unlikely to reverse the decline of the music genre.

Oddly enough, using a standard controller instead of a plastic guitar is hardly the most jarring aspect of Rock Band Blitz. The freebie DLC still makes it a no-brainer purchase, but Rock Band fans might find themselves alienated by the strange score focus, social game elements and absent multiplayer.

Rock Band Blitz manages to improve on its predecessors' concept and control schemes, but the harsh monetization of its music and repetitive controller-based gameplay ultimately doesn't measure up to the feeling of a real Rock Band experience.

This is what you call a true sleeper hit.There is unlimited replay value and a game that surprised me in just about every way.I didn't thinkThis is what you call a true sleeper hit.There is unlimited replay value and a game that surprised me in just about every way.I didn't think it was possible for a video game to be so fun.The company that's direction was going for simulation in music gaming comes back and slaps us in the face with arcade genius.Whenever I wanted to play the arcade versions of music I would pop in one of my Guitar Hero games and just have good ol' fashion fun.When I wanted to play a little on the real side of the music genre I would play my Rock Band collection,not saying that I will quit playing GH games but this is a big reason in my mind to play this work of art before I play my next GH game,just BRILLIANT!…Full Review »

Blending elements from their earlier games, Frequency/Amplitude with Rock Band on PSP, throwing in power-ups and a highly competitive scoringBlending elements from their earlier games, Frequency/Amplitude with Rock Band on PSP, throwing in power-ups and a highly competitive scoring mechanism has lead to one of the most addicting titles I have played in years. Lookins at videos, it is easy to get weary about this game. With only 2 notes to play per track, I didn't see how it could stand up to Frequency/Amplitude. Luckily, the way it is set up, you are thankful there isn't 3 notes per lane. You use the joysticks to 'flick' each note, at first it is daunting, but eventually you learn finesse and everything clicks.

Rock Band Blitz manages to be quite a fun arcade game, I really hope they continue to make new ways to play my music since all my Rock Band DLC works perfectly fine in this game, effectively making replay a near infinite thing...especially when you think about replaying songs over and over to improve your tactics and strategy. I sat down and played for 6 hours straight last night and only left because I needed sleep for work, the game is addictive and hard to put down. Now I am at work and can't stop thinking about this game. That is how you know they made something special.

I have not been let down by Harmonix yet. They managed to improve upon the formula of their first games, while giving me extra value out of the hundreds of DLC tracks I have bought for Rock Band over the years...that is just an unbeatable deal. If you are someone who still plays Rock Band or has stopped but still has a mountain of DLC, there should be nothing stopping you from picking up this game.…Full Review »

the game is quite annoying, but the fact that the songs import freely is the best thing of this game, it's just disappointing, but I'd say ifthe game is quite annoying, but the fact that the songs import freely is the best thing of this game, it's just disappointing, but I'd say if you're into this type of games go for it, spend some 1200MSP (NOTE: this isn't really a Rhythm Videogame like previous ones). As for the setlist, "One Week", "Spoonman" and "Give It Away" are the best of this offer…Full Review »